Race is frustrating...

I'm so disgusted right now! Paris Hilton is out of jail! Not that I have anything personal against HER, but what this actually represents is the bigger picture of RACISM in the U.S. And I know that A LOT of FOLKS will argue that this has nothing to do with Race. And that's OK. It could easily be misconstrued as an ECONOMIC ISSUE. But I'd be willing to bet that a very, very small number of minorities would see it that way WITHOUT ULTERIOR MOTIVES. This is not an isolated incident...

Let me give you a personal experience example of what I'm talking about. It was 2003, and I was taking a Black Literature class. One of the pieces we BRIEFLY covered was KNOWLEDGE IS KING, by KOOL MOE DEE. While we were discussing it, the lady next to me says "I CAN'T STAND ANY OF THAT RAP CRAP!" She was in her late 40's and white, so I kinda have an ignorant tolerance for her demographic when it comes to HIP HOP. But she wouldn't let it go, and brought up the song "WORK IT," by Missy Elliott, and how that's all she hears on the RADIO. So being the HIP HOP HEAD that I am, I asked her if she thought that MAYBE she was hearing THESE songs on the radio intentionally. I let her know that 98% of what I listen to is Hip Hop, and I NEVER listen to the radio. Do you think that the government controls what's on the radio? OF COURSE!!! Why else would they play the RIDICULOUS bullshit they do on free radio? Have you ever heard KRS-ONE, Mos Def, Common, dead prez, or Talib Kweli on the radio? OF COURSE NOT! They have a positive message!



I guess I'll wrap this up (no pun intended). The point I was TRYING to get across was: INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM DOES EXIST! And even though a lot of us are affected by it, either directly or indirectly, don't throw up your hands in defeat. Continue to ASK QUESTIONS and fight for what you believe in! Even if you're skin is white, you have a part to play.

DON'T BE TOLERANT OF INTOLERANCE!!!

Nuttin' but LOVE!